Name: When You're Ready, This Is How You Heal
Rating: 4.6 (409 reviews)
Author: Brianna Wiest

What’s in it for me? Discover how to embrace your full potential.

Have you ever experienced a loss or disruption so powerful it shook your perception of the future? Such instances, while painful, often serve as a wake-up call, ushering us into a journey of healing and self-discovery. What if this healing process was less about repairing what's broken and more about uncovering the most authentic version of ourselves?

In this Blink, we invite you on a journey of exploration and transformation, inspired by the understanding that healing isn’t a one-time event. The aim is to provide insights and practical steps that encourage you to consciously piece together the full truth of who you were meant to be. By the end, you’ll be equipped with the tools to better understand and navigate life's complexities. You’ll be able to foster deeper connections, dream fearlessly, and adapt gracefully to change.

This is your guide to healing and stepping into the light of your authentic self.

The art of navigating change

Change, both unforeseen and intentional, is a part of life’s journey. It’s essential to embrace it. Life’s unexpected offerings aren't coincidences but signposts, nudging us toward needed transformation. Imagine standing at the edge of a high dive, your heart racing. You've spent years circling the pool, convincing yourself it's where you should be. But now, the invitation to leap, to embrace change, stands right in front of you.

Struggling to stay in the comfort of the familiar, we often don blinders, ignoring the paths opening before us. Put yourself in the shoes of a hiker. You might've set off on a path, content with the route you’ve chosen. But if you're constantly glancing at the map, doubting your direction, you're likely on the wrong trail. It's when you're embracing the journey, absorbing the beauty around you, that you're on the right path.

Life isn't about following a rigid script – hitting milestones doesn't necessarily equate to fulfillment. It’s almost like following a recipe to the letter, yet the finished dish is tasteless. Fulfillment doesn't come from checking boxes but from being in tune with your soul, exploring, growing, and adapting.

Now, you might ask, What if I feel like I'm falling behind? Well, imagine you're in a race, but instead of a flat track, it’s a maze. Everyone takes different turns, some reach dead-ends, some find shortcuts. There’s no single way to reach the end, no timeline to adhere to. Feeling like you're falling behind is an illusion because life isn't about reaching checkpoints at a prescribed time but about the journey itself.

So, what can you do to embrace change? First, instead of measuring your life against others, tune into your own rhythm. It's like dancing – when you're too focused on matching others' steps, you lose the joy of the dance. Instead, focus on how the music moves within you.

Second, recognize that setbacks aren’t failures but opportunities for redirection and growth. Remember the hiking example? A blocked trail isn't a setback – it's an invitation to discover a path you may not have considered, a chance to witness new vistas and wonders.

So when life offers you an opportunity to change, take it. Trust the process and give yourself the chance to get it right. Remember, the real journey is the one that resonates with the deepest part of you, the one that allows your soul to express its truth fully. It’s in embracing change and exploring the different paths that you’ll truly bring your inner world into the world around you.

Debunking five self-limiting thought patterns

Let's embark on a journey to unpack five insidious thought patterns that may be tethering you to a life you don't want, preventing you from living your life to the fullest.

First, let's tackle the notion that life is a zero-sum game of good and bad. Picture this: you're waiting for the other shoe to drop whenever something positive happens, like landing a dream job or finding love. You see life as a series of hardships, and success or happiness feels like a temporary glitch. This negativity bias can lead to self-limiting behaviors such as staying in a job or relationship that makes you unhappy. Remember, life isn’t inherently hard and good fortune isn't a setup for disaster. Start believing that good things can accumulate and stabilize your life.

The transformative power of letting go

Throughout our lives, we often find ourselves tethered to situations, objects, thoughts, and even people that may no longer serve us, waiting for an external force to untangle us from these bonds. This waiting game leaves us lingering in uncertainty, sometimes causing us to feel devastated when the severance finally happens. Yet, we tend to view letting go as a last resort, something we'll do only when the world leaves us no choice, when it becomes abundantly clear that something isn’t meant for us.

But what if you could view letting go in a different light? The truth is that it's not a single momentous event, but a practice, a skill to be honed. Just as you’d train for a marathon by first running shorter distances, you can learn to let go by starting with the smaller things. This could mean releasing a passing thought, or deciding not to engage in an insignificant argument. It might involve parting with objects that merely remind you of a bygone era or releasing the expectations you place on others to live according to your narratives.

Navigating aspirations amidst doubts

Dreams, with their grandeur and promise, can be both aspirational and daunting. This is about you, the dreamer, whether you're just embarking on your journey, standing at the crossroads of change, or gathering the courage to share the fruits of your lifelong passion with the world.

The reality of ambitions can sometimes be daunting. It's as if there's an internal conflict, a constant tug-of-war between the desire to leap forward into the future and the paralyzing doubt that freezes you in your tracks. This clash is a universal experience, shared by anyone who's ever dared to dream.

Reclaiming instincts and embracing self-acceptance

In the journey of life, there's a chance that you've veered off course, letting societal expectations and opinions override your instincts. This deviation isn't your fault, rather it's a consequence of conditioning that started when you were young. Remember the kid who fearlessly wore clothes that made them smile, acted on ideas without second thoughts, or expressed hunger without guilt? Gradually, societal norms and expectations robbed you of that innate sense of self. You began to doubt your reflection in the mirror, base your clothing choices on hiding your perceived flaws, and question your hunger cues. This disconnect from your own instincts creates a sense of self-doubt, breeding a cycle of overcorrection and self-sabotage.

Overcorrection is the equivalent of aiming to fix what's not broken, assuming that every aspect of your life is fundamentally flawed. This might mean pushing yourself to the limits of productivity, trying to fit into an idealized image, or obsessing over the outward appearance of social connections. This vicious cycle of overcorrection is birthed from the feeling of not being good enough and from a relentless quest for external validation.

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